Dickerson surfaces a few minutes later, and yes, that's where she'd been. Before every practice, she calls the players together to talk, just to see where everyone is. That's what a team leader does, and Dickerson has embraced that role - which, she understood from the beginning, came with the territory.

"Being that I was the (starting) point guard for this team since my ninth-grade year, that's a big role," Dickerson said. "Just learning how important chemistry can be - you know, it's not just how you come together on the court.

"It goes off the court, too. It goes from making sure there's no hatred on the team to making sure everybody's on the same level."

So far, things have been on the right level for the Hurricanes, who as the defending state champions host top rival Hampton today. After losing his top two scorers from last year's 30-2 team, Gardner has relied on his veteran point guard.

"She's the unquestioned leader, without a doubt," he said. "When the kids start to get astray, she'll call them in. She has this demeanor they all sort of (respond) to. It's a blessing to have her."

Dickerson has been Heritage's starting point guard since she was a 14-year-old freshman in 2005-06. In her three-plus years at the game's most important position, the Hurricanes have gone 75-14 and won a state championship.

Gardner calls Dickerson "the consummate point guard," meaning she's more of a distributor than a scorer. It's not that she can't score. She had a career-high 17 points, 15 coming in the second half, against L.C. Bird in the 2007 state quarterfinals. But until lately, scoring wasn't part of her job description.

Heritage had a pretty effective one-two scoring punch last year in Sonia Johnson and Bonae Holston, who combined for nearly 33 points a game. Dickerson's task was to run the offense and set up the scorers. And she handled both assignments very well.

But the minute Johnson and Holston left - to Delaware State and N.C. State, respectively - Dickerson began hearing from everyone with an opinion how her role would change.

"Even before last year was over, people were telling me, 'Evany, you're going to have hit for 30 points a game next year,' " she said. "And I told them, 'No, it's not going to be that type of team or year for me.' People are going to step up and play their part."

Like seniors Shawnyqua Ellis, Shelby Cannon and Malikah Byrd. Ellis is averaging a team-best 16.3 points a game - after averaging 3.6 points per game last year. Cannon and Byrd have significantly boosted their scoring as well.

Still, Dickerson knows she needs to be more offensive minded, particularly against the better teams. In the Hurricanes' first two games this season, which they won by a combined 82 points, Dickerson scored a total of 10 points. But in a nine-point win over Woodside, she had 15.

"She's old school in that she looks to pass first and shoot later," Gardner said. "I've had to get on her to shoot sometimes."

Gardner rejects the notion that Dickerson played in the shadows her first three years. Sure, Johnson and Holston took most of the shots and got most of the attention. But those who understood the game knew Dickerson was the quarterback. And, in many ways, the key.

This season will be over in a blink, Gardner knows, and then he'll have to say goodbye to his four-year starter. He knows he'll miss her, and not just as a player.

"She's one of those kids who will come in and give you a hug," he said. "That's who she is. But don't get confused with the hug into thinking she's soft. Because she's tough as nails. She's really a dynamic person."

TONIGHT'S GAME

WHO: Hampton (4-0) at Heritage (3-0).

WHEN: 5:30 p.m.

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